OMG! Definitely did not expect the superior experience! My husband and I decided to give this spot a try impromptu! When I say A-MAZ-ING! The ambiance is nice and comfortable, 3 floors of historic memorabilia, my favorite pieces were the cool antique cash registers. The service was beyond exceptional! Our waitress Erin was very attentive and knowledgeable! She recommended the green fried tomatoes I was considering and boy they were nothing like I've ever had! So delicious! Packed with flavor! For dessert I had the seasonal peach cobbler made with fresh locally grown peaches! A-mazing! read more

After an amazing chartered fishing excursion, one of my shipmates suggested grabbing a bite to eat at 1936. We (Group of 12) arrived around 12pm & were among the first guests of the day. We were seated immediately. For starters we ordered 2 crab dips, 2 orders of fried green tomatoes, & 2 orders of crispy wings (Old Bay). Our non-alcoholic beverages included Pepsi products (no Coca-Cola ), ginger ale but no ginger beer. All of the appetizers were on point with flavor & texture. Also the Old Bay chicken wings were not as salty as other places serve them. I ordered the crab cake sandwich & onion rings. I had to box my crab cake because the small plates filled me up. I heated it in a pan later with a little olive oil spray and it was good. Our generous shipmate took care of thei bill so I'm not sure if splitting was an option. This was my first visit but definitely not my last. I enjoyed the relaxed vibes and proximity to the resort & dock. read more

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I've been here several times but this last time we celebrated New Year's Eve. 1936 is the perfect spot to go and hang out for snacks and drinks, especially when it's warm. It's located in Chesapeake Beach next to the Rod and Reel Resort. I love the set up of the place, as it sits right on the water. Parking is accessible and easy to get to (parking lot and parking garage). For NYE, they had a DJ, gave out party hats, necklaces,noise makers, and champagne for the toast. The bar tenders were excellent and were able to accommodate me with a tasty mocktail. The bar is intimate but perfect place to celebrate with a few friends. Will definitely be back when it's warm! read more

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Checked out Chesapeake Beach for the ride and the slots. They're still building up the area but there are a few spots to explore. We had drinks at the bar in the BBQ area where the slots are. Nice chill spot, seating tv's, and relaxed area for conversation. Hours later we ventured upstairs through the parking garage to have dinner. I would imagine that in the spring and summer you would enjoy amazing views of the water and boats. Not in January ... but still a beautiful place. Our service was excellent! Seriously we were in this place for at least four hours. Not crowded at all on a Friday night. Not on the top level . So we started with the cream of crab soup. So much crab! Seriously I could have had another bowl and been happy. The wings were good as well, but the OYSTERS?! Plump, juicy and slightly sweet. Yeah, get them. If you like oysters, you'll want to get a dozen. The menu looked really good but after these apps and copious amounts of libations, we were stuffed. Do I recommend this spot? If you want some quiet time and pretty good food, yeah come by. Hit the slots downstairs and come to 1936. Honestly I think the views will be prettiest when the weather gets warmer. read more

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This unplanned trip to Chesapeake Beach landed a pleasant surprise. I wanted seafood BAD, but this gem stood out due to good reviews and location (I was walking the boardwalk and it was fairly close). I came around 2 pm or so and there was a fair amount of people there. The greeters were sweet and the server was excellent. I believe she doubled as the bartender. The restrooms were located upstairs, where there was another very nice bar area (closed during my visit). I had 2 lemon drops martinis and started with the crap dip. The bread and dip was EXCELLENT. I'd return just for that alone- fresh ingredients and the bread had the perfect amount of crispiness. For my entree, I ordered a filet minion and fries. The grade of beef was pretty nice and flavorful. Overall I enjoyed this visit. The only bit of disappointment was the lack of music or sound at all. There were TVs on but no sound from them either. I'm sure in the evening it may change. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - 1936 CRAB DIP - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

Some old friends and I decided to try this spor out. The restaurant sits on the water. They seemed to be a little understaffed at the time. The restaurant only has a section of the restaurant open. The server who took our order was nice. I had the crabcake with hushpuppies. The hush puppies were somewhat burnt and dry. The crabcake was a nice size just thought it was a little bland so I asked for some old bay seasoning. The winter mojito was tasty but very sweet. I did taste my friends calamari and they were nicely seasoned. I would give the restaurant one more try. read more

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We LOVED this restaurant! Starting with our fantastic server, North- who was so lovely with us from meal beginning to end. We had steak bites to start, which were such excellent quality and tremendous flavor that we brought an order back with us! The one year old even loved them. I had fish and chips- fantastic lightly battered fish- French fries were light and just crispy enough. The pasta portable bucatini pesto was excellent - maybe a bit salty but still so good. The salmon was delicious as was the burger. All fresh and SO flavorful! We also had white sangria which was beautiful as well as delicious and refreshing. I highly recommended this restaurant if you're in the area. One note: park on the second level of the open garage there- the restaurant is on that level and is breezy and beautiful even on hot days if you want to sit outside! read more

Great Octoberfest menu! Not pictured but impressive was the pretzel crab bake -- it was HUGE! The Buffalo schnitzel with ham and cheese on a pretzel bun was also a Wonderful surprise! read more

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I live so close to this place and I want to love it but I don't 6 months ago I had the best crake I've had in years with delicious hush puppies. They changed the menu and maybe the chef but it is over priced and bad. The crab cake mealy with filler, mashed potatoes instant No fresh seafood on the menu, and everything is careless. The service is slow and careless the menu has an identity issue. It's sits on the water in a historic setting and serve weird food nothing traditional Oh and the offer a vegetarian onion soup with crab .. that's not vegetarian I'm not a vegetarian but it tells me they don't know what they are doing I pray with the big restaurant opens they have a real chef read more

The crab cakes are excellent! We had a prep issue with our dessert but our server, the manager, and the pastry chef all took the time to listen, research, explain, and make it right. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - MARYLAND CRAB CAKE SANDWICH with onion rings, coleslaw and chowder - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

fter hanging out in North Beach we came down to Chesapeake Beach to try out 1936. The outside patio was full, but we were able to get a table at the window facing the boats and water. We were quickly seated and brought waters and given time to pick out drinks and food. We got the crab dip, oysters, chicken and crab cake combo, and the fried shrimp. The oysters were very fresh and the appetizers and food came out piping hot and very well prepared. The crab cake barely had any filler, the shrimp were huge and had great seasoning on it, and the fried chicken was super crispy. The service was amazing and our server was very helpful when we asked on what some favorites were. We will definitely be back and highly recommend checking 1936 out. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - Crab Dip - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

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Did a day trip to north beach and was contemplating going to our go-to restaurant across the street but decided to give 1936 Bar & Grill a try. It's a part of the resort. We went to the third floor and sat inside to escape the heat. We went around 2:00, and it was packed. The seats with great beach views were taken but we still enjoyed the ambiance. The service was a bit slow, but I think it was because they were busy. We got the cobb salad, the seafood pasta (which was at market price), and the French Fries. The french fries were my least favorite. The salad seemed fresh and was filling. The seafood pasta was also very tasty, and we cleared the plate. read more

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We went here for My Mothers 88 bday lunch. We thought the Rod n Reel restaurant was opened but they were still renovating so this was the next best place. Ambiance has the waterfront feel which was cool. Customer service was professional. The food was just okay nothing special. My Mom did like the crab cake sandwich and my daughter liked the steak frites. Three of us had a salad. I wouldn't order the salads the green lettuce mix just didn't have any flavor to it. If I went to Rod n Reel and the Restaurant wasn't open, I will return but other than that I wouldn't. read more

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If you wanna wait 20 minutes for your first drink, pay ~15$ for frozen pretzel bites with subpar dippings, and have a great view of the harbor, you should absolutely come here. The head "chef" should be embarrassed by those pretzels. It's 4 ingredients. Try again. read more

Stopped in for lunch . It was a lovely day out so we decided to sit out on the outside patio. Our food and server was terrific. We picked this restaurant because it was on the water. I would definitely recommend. read more

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Really want to like this place since I live a mile away. Second time here. Wife's crab cake was okay but my wings while tasty I can't get past the rubbery skin! No crisp at all. Second time here and was hoping they figured it out. They are doing so much in the way of enhancements to the property that they are killing themselves with chefs/cooks. I get that North Beach isn't going to attract top chefs but to spend millions in making the property beautiful , why not overpay a chef. The Rod and Reel is under construction so when that reopens are we going to have average chefs? Really hope not. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - Wings - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

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Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. The wait for our food was quite long and when it came out, it was cold. I do think it would have tasted better warm and more seasoned. In addition, we got the rose sangria and it was watered down. The view outside was nice but our table was right by the parking garage entrance so it felt like we were almost in the parking garage. We were able to move once another table cleared off. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - Chesapeake Mac & Cheese, Crabby Fries - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

We used to enjoy this restaurant. It's close by, beautiful views, and nice atmosphere, but the recent menu changes are a huge disappointment. We had multiple favorites on the menu and they are now gone. The entire menu format has changed, making it completely undesirable for quality local dining. They took popular favorites off the menu and offer no "happy hour" food options. The new menu format and high prices take away from the small town feel. The servers were excellent, but the recent menu changes will likely keep us from coming back. We especially missed the Brussel Sprouts, Crabby Fries and Thai Shrimp Wrap. Please bring the old menu back! read more

We started with extremely good drinks, mine was a Deadrise Bloody Mary. Hers was a 1936 Skipjack! I had a dozen chicken wings that were so extra crispy and still so moist! For my meal, I had a pound of excellent steamed mussel in sauce with some great garlic bread to dip in the sauce! My wife had a Cobb Salad with very tasty grilled shrimp on top! The service was excellent as always! The ambiance was nice. It was a little loud but we got through it! read more

1936 Bar & Grill - Steamed Mussels in Sauce - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

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This is a nice spot, with great views and fast service. The food is absolutely mediocre at best. I was served a dozen reheated and rotten crabs that smelled so bad upon arriving at my table. It was SHOCKING that they allowed these to be served to a customer....like we wouldn't notice?? The smell was REVOLTING!!! I opened one up and the meat had turned to a jelly-like substance and everyone at the surrounding tables was sniffing the air in horror. Even the server seemed embarrassed and shocked. I lost almost all trust in this restaurant after that experience. ( I was also served still frozen cream of crab soup on a different occasion.) The food is inconsistent in quality, preparation, and presentation. The drinks are great, the crushes are delicious. The best thing on the menu is the cheese board. It is actually really good and robust. read more

We ordered the Reuben and southern fried chicken sandwich . He like the Reuben. The chicken sandwich comes dry, with slaw and pickles . Slaw tasteless. Chicken tasty . Do not recommend the homemade chips . The view is nice . Service just ok . read more

The food was really, really bad. The burger was really salty and messy. The fish and chips were greasy and tasted like old grease. The fried green tomatoes fell apart and had no taste. Won't be returning the food is one of the worst I've had. had read more

The service is great. The food was decent for lunch but there are locals that frequent this place which can be quite loud. We will be back.

They changed the menu for the worse. Prices are ridiculous no more happy hour How can a bar with big screen televisions not have a happy hour. I guess they don't want locals there to watch a game. Even Ruth Chris has a happy hour and they are a lot more upscale than here. Do the right thing welcome locals with prices that are reasonable. read more

I don't usually write reviews; either I don't like a place and don't come back or I just give it a good star rating, if I like it, but I thought I would give some fellow customers a minor heads up. Restaurant is beautiful, view is great, the service was exceptional, and the food was delicious. Everyone I was with enjoyed their experience. My one gripe is that the fish and chips says seasonal local fish on the menu, but when I asked the waiter what kind of fish, he said Haddock. Now maybe local means the Atlantic Ocean, but no one is catching Haddock in the Chesapeake. He said he'd tell the manager, and maybe they'll change it or maybe the menu was just in the middle of being updated, but if you go here and it says seasonal and local fish, I'd ask what the fish is, if you care. read more

I'm really glad I went to this bar. A little hard to find (it's built into the parking garage). Once you figure out where in the garage, you have to be on the right floor to walk in. MORE SIGNAGE might be helpful. Especially for tipsy first time patrons . Once inside, it has a Vegas like vibe. Except no roped off area, club music, and bottle girls. I miss Vegas...that was another life...but I digress. Anyway it's new and nice inside. The hipper and younger of the Calvert County community where there the night I was. We sat at the bar and the two ladies who were bartenders that night were super friendly and their service was exemplary. Granted, they weren't slammed but I'm sure they would be just as good. Not a whole lot of people were in here. It is a great little secret and I might be letting the cat out the bag, but if you are looking for an out of the way place to go one night for a drink, this is the place. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - On tap. Lot of local Brewery selections. - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

Food was great and views by the water were perfect and just what I needed. I ordered shrimp and oysters and loved every bit of it. We were served by Adam. Parking was available which was a gem for this city girl to not have to struggle to find parking. Will definitely be back. read more

My wife and I dine at 1936 regularly. We were so disappointed in our latest trip yesterday to learn that the menu was changed. We missed the cauliflower bites and the mixed berry salad. As we eat primarily plant-based, these were regular items for us. We do hope there are plans to either bring back these items or plan new items that are plant-based. At least two other restaurants in the area have added a mixed berry salad recently. Sad to see 1936 moving in the wrong direction. I ended up getting the mahi mahi tacos which I've had before and was disappointed here too. On one taco I couldn't even see the fish the cuts were so small. While we don't eat the meat burgers, my wife often gets the plant-based one, but here too there were fewer preparation options to choose from, C'mon, 1936! You're better than this. Go back to your previous standards so we can come back. As I mentioned before, the options at other restaurants are getting better and better in this area. Don't lose out!! read more

My experience at 1936 was questionable me and my family came July 3 we asked to get seated outside we waited 10 minutes then when the waiter came she said it will be 25 dollars per person to sit outside because of the fire works so we go inside a lady comes to our table and says "I'm not your waiter but I can order your drinks" we order our drinks and Wait a long period of time now it's been a hour and we still have not gotten our food. read more

Stopped in Christmas Eve for an early dinner with my parents we came here because it was something new for us we haven't been here since it opened. We parked on the second floor and there is a entrance to the restaurant on the back side of the parking garage then that floor of the restaurant was closed so we took the elevator to the third floor. We were treated when we got off and sat in the middle of the restaurant. There is a nice size bar on the third floor with lots of windows looking out at the bay. They should have put in large folding doors so in the summer they can open them up. Don't order the fried shrimp they are not fresh they are frozen shrimp why in the world would a restaurant on the Chesapeake Bay serve frozen shrimp???? So we ordered the chopped steak with mash potatoes and green beans and my wife ordered the haddock with fries and slaw parents ordered the chopped steak. The food was pretty good very tasty and lots of it. We will return. read more

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Total disappointment. We've been here in the past and had a good experience. I don't know if things have changed, or it was just an off night. The sole reason we came tonight was because their Facebook site said they had live music on Saturday nights, even listed the specific musician. No music and the server acted completely confused when we asked about it. Service was subpar, at best. Most of the staff stood around playing on their phones or chatting with each other, while dishes piled up on everyone's tables, people had empty drinks, including us. Salads came out with meals, not just for us, but other tables too. Are we supposed to let our food get cold while we eat our salad, or eat it out of order. You expect this at an Applebee's, but not a nice local restaurant that should have a high standard of service. The table beside us complained the coleslaw was rancid. Overall, a total lack of quality in service and food. And during our two hours in the establishment, didn't see anyone who seemed to have any authority or managerial type of role. Also, changing the menu, getting rid of the mashed potatoes, the chopped steak, and the Delmonico were a disappointment. The only steak option was a sirloin, and when we asked about the specials, we were told that they don't have those anymore. The servers walked around with computers on their wrists, staring at those, instead of interacting with guests. Totally different experience than we had when we were here last time. I doubt we will be back. Totally overpriced for the quality of service and food. Time for an in-service on customer service for the staff. At 8 o'clock on a Saturday night 2/3 of the tables are empty. read more

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Friendly staff, good service and the food was decent. I came here with my family for brunch and we had a good time. Hopefully the rest of the county starts to play catch up, and this spot doesn't become the new flashy thing in the county that dwindles and just ends up blending in. Always been a lot of potential, especially in this area. read more

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Updated Review - After reading previous reviews as far back as 2022 , 1936 Bar & Grill has SUCKED for years !! so Love yourself enough and STAY AWAY!! Beware!!! Entire experience was a BUST. The wrapped silverware was dirty/food soiled, requested & received clean utensils after a 10 min. wait that resulted in cold appetizers. The main meals had a substantial delay and served cold too. The food left much to be desired, more like a menu imposter accompanied by nasty circling flies at our table. To sum this trip up, the bill & tip was covered adequately inspite of BAD FOOD, POOR SERVICE and the FLIES (the unwelcomed table guest to top it off) but the view was great thou......NEVER, EVER AGAIN!!! read more

A group of friends and I decided to go to Chesapeake Beach for Sunday dinner. I think this was the 3rd restaurant we went to before deciding to dine here. It's weirdly located in the parking garage of Rod & Reel. Go figure. After we ordered it took a while for the order to arrive. I ordered crab bisque and received chowder. I really wanted some soup so I didn't return it. The fried shrimp dinner was just okay. Our waitress was aloof. We each provided cards for individual checks and she when she returned she just left all of our cards with receipts at the end of the table instead of handing them back to each of us individually for signature. Tacky. I can't say that I'd be interested in trying this place again. read more

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As a resident of Chesapeake Beach for the past 38 years, it was VERY DISAPPOINTING when my husband, son, and myself walked into 1936 and was not acknowledged by a single employee. We stood at the entrance waiting to be seated, no one showed up, no one from the bar said 1 min, NOTHING! We decide to go upstairs thinking the hostess was up there...nope that area was closed. As we walk back downstairs the hostess is approaching the hostess stand and she says "have a good night!" Ma'am we came from upstairs where it was closed...your response should have been "May I help you?" Needless to say we walked out and I will not be going back for awhile. Signed - An Angry Black Resident read more

The food was really good. Service was nice and fast. The spot we sat at was overlooking the water. Just a nice family place

Visited this restaurant with my girlfriend on a Saturday for lunch. This is a nice spot to visit during the day time as it sits right on the water. The restaurant was not crowded at all. Service was great. We enjoyed the peel n eat shrimp which were very fresh and flavorful. We also had crabs which were the same. The price point for this restaurant depends on what you get. Overall a great restaurant, nice ambiance, great service, and great food. read more

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Great location with a nice view of the harbor. Physically connected to the parking garage. Parking was free at least during the week when we were there. I would imagine that this place gets crowded on weekends but for lunch on a weekday it was fine. Service was very good and we were seated immediately. Our server did a nice job and was friendly and efficient and attentive. The food was not great. I ordered a fried green tomato BLT with a side of coleslaw. The Sammy was basically tasteless except for the bacon which was pretty good. The fried green tomatoes were just a soggy mess. My bride ordered the crab soup and a salad. The soup was made with frozen veggies. Salad was just a bowl of lettuce for the most part with some thin carrot strips and a slice of a cucumber. I'd be willing to give them another chance and order something different in hopes of finding a better item on the menu. I thought the prices were reasonable based on location. read more

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This place has a wonderful view and the servers were very accommodating and pleasant. I would have given it another star if the cuisine had been more tasty. We started with the cauliflower bites and fried green tomatoes. The cauliflower wasn't quite cooked all the way through inside and the breading didn't have enough seasoning. When I make them I parboil the cauliflower and season it with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and then roll in flour, egg and milk mixture then panko. I either deep fry or air-fry depending on my state of mind. The fried green tomatoes were perfectly prepared but, again, lacked seasoning. They came with a tiny bit of aioli and goat cheese but it wasn't enough to make up for the lack of flavor on the actual fried green tomatoes. Once I added salt and pepper and asked for extra aioli, they were perfect. We shared a Greek flatbread and it was delicious! The fries were prepared properly but needed salt. (I think you're seeing a trend here.) There isn't much to do in Chesapeake beach off season but just take a quick drive down the way to North beach and there's plenty to do there. We'll be returning in a month to visit North Beach. read more

1936 Bar & Grill - Our view from our table. - American Near Me - Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

I could sum up my experience here in one word: underwhelming. Our party of six decided to stop here after a day at the local beach. We were excited for some yummy seafood, drinks, and dessert and instead we walked away disappointed. The service was just okay. Our waitress was friendly, but we had problems right from the appetizers. First, we ordered the Crab Balls (at a whopping $28 MP) as a shared appetizer for, again, our party of six. Neither the waitress nor the menu informed us that the Crab Balls come with only THREE little bites. It would have been very helpful to be notified of the number of items you get with this dish because we would have happily ordered something more appropriate for a larger group. Whatever, we thought, we'll split 'em in half. Well, we had to do that by hand, because we still didn't have silverware at this point (~25 minutes after being seated). Waitress seemed surprised when we asked for utensils to eat with. Our main courses were pretty yummy. This grill definitely shies away from seasoning, though. The "seasoned fries" that come with the sandwiches were served undercooked, cold, and were in desperate need of... seasoning. Needed a heavy pinch of salt to make 'em edible. You'd kind of expect seasoned fries on a coastal restaurant to be coated with Old Bay, but nope. After all of this, we wanted to finish up with a dessert for the table. We had a few Maryland natives who were excited to see Smith Island Cake on the menu. Now I can't speak to this with much authority, but the Marylanders in the party were not impressed. The cake did not hold true to the Smith Island quality or flavor that they expected. Just know if you Google "Smith Island Cake," this restaurant's version does NOT look like that. Sad way to end the meal. Like I said, the experience was underwhelming. It seemed like a fun restaurant with beautiful views and yummy seafood. I walked away regretting not giving a proper local business a chance. read more